Keeping an open mind to new music is what this generation of genre splicer’s are thriving on. Issues, Northlane and those alike who take risks, are reaping the dividends and its why French musician Rémi Gallego’s project The Algorithm won last year’s best underground band at the Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards.
Now the maestro whose music resembles the likes of Enter Shikari and Hacktivist is back with ‘Octopus4’ a new record we hope is full of bangers to match his peers and not containing those that are similar to lumpy mash.
Events do not begin with an eruption of sound that you would expect, instead a flurry of flaccid dance beats in the form of Autorun meet you before shit gets heavy then weird with loopy bleeps and nothing much else.
One track in and Discovery is a necessary shot of adrenaline coated in a 60’s TV show vibe that abruptly ends with a tombstone piledriver of a breakdown that shatters the illusion of cheese. ‘_MOS’ carries on the flag for old school flavours with a Super Mario Bros. and Pokémon mash-up.
You can’t knock Gallego’s efforts, experimenting with different sounds ‘n’ all but any new album should have tracks that make you want to feed on them over and over before moving to the next, however ‘Octopus4’ does not have that until ‘ピタゴラスPythagoras’ rears its angled head and perplexes with its formula of atmospheric intensity and break-neck metallic chugs to head bang to.
Following on ‘Synthesiz3r’ wouldn’t sound out of place on an Ibiza club strip with techno of the highest order, mad bass groove and mainstream beats that would have those at a rave waving their glow sticks like a lightsaber before a dirty breakdown and guttural scream threatens to destroy all in its path.
Unfortunately that’s as good as it gets as ‘Loading’ does its best schizophrenic impression which leaves a feeling of bewilderment akin to looking at the album artwork and the French rapping on ‘Un Dernier Combat’ is a real WTF moment, just adding to the absurdity levels.
The title track closes the record with a dose of industrial rock, with emphasis on the rock, which has been lacking throughout ‘Octopus4’, with the genuine crossover elements that could have seen The Algorithm reach the same levels as the likes of The Prodigy (within time) all you are left with is the taste of what if, as the warm sound of jazz plays out.
To murky to rise out of the underground and not diverse enough to make a dent in the mainstream, it looks as though The Algorithm will have to make do with where they are as based on ‘Octopus4’ they will not be receiving many accolades in the world of rock.
